1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of gaming, particularly roulette gaming and the use of side bets having unique apparatus enabling novel gaming methods.
2. Background of the Art
Roulette is a popular wagering game played in casinos and other gaming establishments. Avid players are generally open to, and sometimes specifically seek out, new and more interesting ways to play roulette, particularly when the reward for a winning outcome at the end of a round of play, or the odds of achieving a winning outcome, may be enhanced. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,798 (Adams et al.) discloses a progressive side bet for roulette that a player wins when the player bets on the same winning number four times in a row, an amount of the winnings being a fixed amount that grows with successive rounds; a progressive pot, less a rake; or a randomly selected amount. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,810 (Williams) discloses a progressive side bet for roulette that a player wins when the same winning number occurs three and four games in a row, an amount of the winnings being an amount accumulated in a progressive pot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,800 (Huard et al.) discloses a progressive side bet applicable to roulette that a player wins when a randomly selected number is the winning number or when the player is simply randomly selected from a number of players or player positions, which may further involve randomly selecting the amount of the prize as a fixed amount or as a percentage of a progressive pot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,431 (Ornstein) discloses a streak side wager for roulette that a player wins when the player achieves a preselected number of consecutive wins on the same conventional roulette wager (e.g., odds, evens, red, black, split, box, specific number, etc.).
U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2005/0192076 (to Lowery) discloses a side bet for roulette that a player wins a fixed amount when a preselected outcome occurs in two consecutive rounds.
U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 20150087377 (Yee) discloses methods of administering games of roulette. A multiplier may be randomly selected from a group of fixed multipliers for a payout on the wager. A number and associated color may be randomly generated from within a range of numbers and associated colors. The wager may be resolved by determining whether the randomly generated number is identical to a randomly generated number from an immediately preceding round. A payout may be paid to the player when the randomly generated number is identical to the randomly generated number from the immediately preceding round, an amount of the payout being equal to an amount of the wager multiplied by the randomly selected multiplier. The amount of the wager may be collected for the house when the randomly generated number is different from the randomly generated number from the immediately preceding round.
U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 20080132315 (Fisher) discloses a roulette apparatus that enables and enhances roulette gaming. The roulette apparatus comprises a roulette wheel assembly, a ball-delivery tower, ball-conducting conduit, and disguised wheel monitoring equipment. The ball-delivery tower comprises a tower support portion and a tower arm. The tower arm may enclose and partially disguise the wheel-monitoring equipment. The tower support portion provides a certain vertical dimension for maximizing roulette ball potential energy. The ball-conducting conduit extends intermediate a ball inlet and a ball outlet. The ball outlet is positioned for outletting the roulette ball upon an upper wheel surface of the roulette wheel assembly. The tower and the ball-conducting conduit convert roulette ball potential energy to roulette ball kinetic energy and further function to effect a self-launching roulette ball for enhancing the roulette gaming experience.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,440 (Sher) discloses an Enhanced Roulette-Style Game in which a new Roulette apparatus comprising multiple balls and separate tracks for launching each of the balls. In a preferred embodiment there are two balls and two tracks, and a special apparatus for launching the balls. In one embodiment the launching apparatus is air powered, and in another the apparatus is mechanical with the balls accelerated by contact with a spinning wheel. In either case the launching apparatus may be hand-held or mounted to a frame and positioned to propel the balls into the tracks.
U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 20050003885 (Rhoten) discloses an improved roulette type game in which an electronic Start signal triggers a Launch signal, but only after an electronically generated random time delay.
U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 20100227665 (Nicely) discloses a gaming device including a game operable upon one or more wagers. The game is operable for a first play and a second play. Each one of the plays involves a spin of a rotor. The rotor has a plurality of symbols and a plurality of ball landings adjacent to the symbols. A first quantity of the ball landings is available for the first play, and a lower, second quantity of the ball landings is available for the second play. The gaming device also includes an indicator that is operable to indicate information relating to the availability of the second quantity of ball landings. In one embodiment, a plurality of different colored balls are used in accordance with a plurality of matching colored ball landings. If a green ball, for example, lands in a green landing, the subsequent play could begin, wherein each green landing would be eliminated or deactivated in the subsequent play.
U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 20030094752 (Matthews) describes a method for playing a roulette-type game includes the initial step of providing a playing field for betting on the conclusions of a plurality of gaming trials, prior to initiating the plurality of trials. In order to associate each table with one ball, it is preferred that each table have a colored top matching the color of the particular ball. Thus one table may be identified as a blue table and is associated with a blue colored ball. Another table 44 is red and is associated with a red ball, etc. A vertical electronic display post is provided for each table and is located proximal the roulette wheel and each table. Each post has electronic display apparatus for displaying the number of the pocket within which the associated colored ball falls during play of the game.
U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 20130316799 (Hsu) discloses an incentive apparatus for a gambling game system aims to increase the odds thereof. The gambling game system includes a betting table and a plurality of game results. The betting table has payout odds marked thereon corresponding to different game results of the gambling game system. The incentive apparatus includes a dynamic raised odds calculation element, an electronic display board and a payout element. The dynamic raised odds calculation element randomly selects a specific number of the game results and generates dynamic raised odds for the selected game results respectively. The electronic display board has a plurality of display zones corresponding to the game results. The display zones immediately display the dynamic raised odds after betting of each round of game stops. The payout element pays out to players Who win the round of the game according to the payout odds or the dynamic raised odds. The gambling game system also can be Roulette with a roulette wheel and a colored ball. The betting table also can be a physical table or the betting table can be an electronic interface.
All disclosures cited herein are incorporated in their entirety. Further advances in roulette gaming technology are still desired within the industry.